The Hamilton New Zealand Temple (also known as the Hamilton Waikato Temple and formerly as the New Zealand Temple) is the 13th constructed and 11th operating

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

(LDS Church). Located just outside Temple View in

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

, it was built with a modern single-spire design very similar to the

Bern Switzerland Temple The Bern Switzerland Temple (formerly the Swiss Temple) is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), was the church's first temple built in Europe, and the first built outside of North America.Toone, Trent"The Bern ...

. Until the completion of the Auckland Temple, it remains the only LDS temple in New Zealand.

History

The site for the temple was first chosen by

Wendell B. Mendenhall Wendell Bird Mendenhall (September 26, 1907 – September 14, 1978) was the head of the Church Building Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and one of the moving forces behind the Labor Missionary program of ...

who had been given a special assignment by LDS Church president

David O. McKay David Oman McKay (September 8, 1873 – January 18, 1970) was an American religious leader and educator who served as the ninth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1951 until his death in 1970. Ordain ...

to choose the site. The building of an LDS Church temple in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

was announced by

on 17 February 1955. With its completion in 1958, it was the first temple built by the LDS Church in the Southern Hemisphere and the second to be built outside of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. A ground-breaking ceremony and site dedication were held on 21 December 1955. The site of the temple is on , which included the LDS Church-owned

Church College of New Zealand Church College of New Zealand (CCNZ) was a private secondary school in Temple View, Hamilton, New Zealand, that was operated by the Church Educational System of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It was closed at the en ...

, formerly a secondary school for students aged twelve to eighteen. The temple is , has one ordinance room, three sealing rooms, and a baptistry. The spire rises to a height of . The temple was built entirely by church labour

missionaries A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...

who volunteered all of their time. Local members supported these workers with money, food, and lodging.

Hugh B. Brown Hugh Brown Brown (October 24, 1883 – December 2, 1975) was an American attorney, educator, author and leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was a member of the church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and First Presidency. ...

, then an

Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, commonly shortened to Assistant to the Twelve or Assistant to the Twelve Apostles, was a priesthood calling in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1941 and 1976. As the title of t ...

, placed the ceremonial cornerstone of the temple on 22 December 1956. The temple was open for public tours for 23 days prior to the dedication. During this time about 112,500 people toured the temple. The New Zealand Temple was dedicated by David O. McKay on 20 April 1958.Jones, Morgan
"Hamilton New Zealand Temple to close in July 2018 for extensive renovations"
''

Deseret News The ''Deseret News'' () is the oldest continuously operating publication in the American west. Its multi-platform products feature journalism and commentary across the fields of politics, culture, family life, faith, sports, and entertainment. Th ...

'', 19 January 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2020. The temple serves

Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

in New Zealand and

New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Caledonia , map_caption = Location of New Caledonia , mapsize = 290px , subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...

. According to

Mormon folklore Mormon folklore is a body of expressive culture unique to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and other sects of Mormonism. Mormon folklore includes tales, oral history, popular beliefs, customs, music, jokes ...

, the

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

King

Tāwhiao Tāwhiao (Tūkāroto Matutaera Pōtatau Te Wherowhero Tāwhiao; c. 1822 – 26 August 1894) was leader of the Waikato tribes, the second Māori King, and a religious figure. He was a member of the Ngati Mahuta (Hapū) of Waikato. Biography T ...

accurately predicted the site of the temple before his death in 1894. On 19 January 2018, the LDS Church announced that in July 2018, the temple would close for renovations that are anticipated to be completed in 2021. In 2019,

Russell M. Nelson Russell Marion Nelson Sr. (born September 9, 1924) is an American religious leader and retired surgeon who is the 17th and current president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Nelson was a member of the LDS Church ...

announced the location for a new LDS Church temple in

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

—the second temple in the country. In April 2022,

announced the location for a new LDS Church temple in

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

—the third temple in the country.

Presidents

Notable

presidents President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

of the Hamilton New Zealand Temple include Glen L. Rudd (1984–87), Douglas J. Martin (1992–95), and Sidney M. Going (2013–2016).

References

External links

Hamilton New Zealand Temple Official site

Hamilton New Zealand Temple
at ChurchofJesusChristTemples.org {{Authority control 20th-century Latter Day Saint temples Buildings and structures in Hamilton, New Zealand Culture in Hamilton, New Zealand Religious buildings and structures in Waikato Religious buildings and structures completed in 1958 Temples (LDS Church) in Oceania The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in New Zealand Tourist attractions in Hamilton, New Zealand 1958 establishments in New Zealand 1950s architecture in New Zealand

History

Presidents

See also

References

Further reading

External links